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Mobile Development · head to head

.NET MAUI vs React Native

.NET MAUI logo

.NET MAUI

Mobile Development

Microsoft-maintained, free framework for native iOS, Android, Windows and macOS apps from one C# codebase

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
React Native logo

React Native

Mobile Development

Build native mobile apps with React and JavaScript

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: .NET MAUI its release and support lifecycle is tied to the underlying .NET version, so a team on an odd-numbered .NET release faces a support cutoff roughly every eighteen months and must budget upgrade work accordingly.; React Native the JavaScript bridge has historically been a bottleneck for animation-heavy and list-heavy screens, though the New Architecture addresses much of it
  • They diverge on capability: .NET MAUI covers Single C# and XAML codebase, React Native covers Renders to native components.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which .NET MAUI and React Native actually diverge.

Attributes where .NET MAUI and React Native differ
Attribute.NET MAUIReact Native
PlatformsWindows, macOS, iOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Mobile Development).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in .NET MAUI

  • Single C# and XAML codebase
  • Native UI rendering
  • Xamarin migration path
  • Hot Reload
  • Blazor Hybrid support
  • MVU and data binding

Only in React Native

  • Renders to native components
  • React programming model
  • Native modules
  • Fast Refresh
  • Wide platform reach
  • Large package ecosystem

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

.NET MAUI

  • A .NET shop extending an existing C# codebase or business logic layer into iOS and Androidnot React Native
  • A team migrating a retired Xamarin.Forms app, since Microsoft provides an official upgrade pathnot React Native
  • An organisation that wants one codebase spanning mobile and Windows desktop without a second languagenot React Native
  • A company standardised on Visual Studio and Azure DevOps wanting mobile builds in the same pipelinenot React Native

React Native

  • Teams with React experience on the web extending into mobilenot .NET MAUI
  • Apps that should feel like the platform rather than look identical across bothnot .NET MAUI
  • Adding a mobile client to a product whose engineers already write JavaScriptnot .NET MAUI
  • Reusing business logic between web and mobile codebasesnot .NET MAUI

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

.NET MAUI

  • Its release and support lifecycle is tied to the underlying .NET version, so a team on an odd-numbered .NET release faces a support cutoff roughly every eighteen months and must budget upgrade work accordingly.
  • Platform-specific control styling and native look-and-feel have historically needed more manual work and workaround packages than Flutter delivers out of the box.
  • macOS and desktop support are less mature than the iOS and Android targets, so teams wanting a strong Mac app experience often still reach for native AppKit or a dedicated tool.
  • The talent pool of mobile developers fluent in MAUI specifically is smaller than for Flutter or React Native, even though C# itself is common.
  • Third-party control libraries such as Syncfusion and Telerik fill real gaps in the built-in component set, meaning a serious app often carries an additional commercial licence cost despite the framework itself being free.

React Native

  • The JavaScript bridge has historically been a bottleneck for animation-heavy and list-heavy screens, though the New Architecture addresses much of it
  • Upgrading between versions has a reputation for being painful, particularly with many native dependencies
  • Anything the framework does not wrap requires native code in Swift or Kotlin, so a purely JavaScript team can still get stuck
  • Because it renders to real platform components, small behavioural differences between iOS and Android surface in your code rather than being hidden

Pricing, plan by plan

.NET MAUI

Free
  • .NET MAUIFree
    • MIT licensed, unlimited apps
    • Bundled with the free .NET SDK
    • Visual Studio Community edition available at no cost for individuals and small teams

React Native

Free
  • React NativeFree
    • Full framework
    • iOS and Android targets
    • Native module system

Which should you pick?

Choose .NET MAUI if

  • You need single c# and xaml codebase.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want native ui rendering.
.NET MAUI review

Choose React Native if

  • You need renders to native components.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web.
  • You also want react programming model.
React Native review

Questions people ask

Is .NET MAUI or React Native better?
Neither clearly leads. .NET MAUI starts at Free and React Native at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, .NET MAUI or React Native?
.NET MAUI starts at Free and React Native at Free.
Does .NET MAUI or React Native run on more platforms?
.NET MAUI runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. React Native runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Web.
Can I use .NET MAUI for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is .NET MAUI best used for?
.NET MAUI is most often used for a .net shop extending an existing c# codebase or business logic layer into ios and android, a team migrating a retired xamarin.forms app, since microsoft provides an official upgrade path, an organisation that wants one codebase spanning mobile and windows desktop without a second language, a company standardised on visual studio and azure devops wanting mobile builds in the same pipeline. Of those, a .net shop extending an existing c# codebase or business logic layer into ios and android and a team migrating a retired xamarin.forms app, since microsoft provides an official upgrade path are not what React Native is typically brought in for.
What can .NET MAUI do that React Native cannot?
.NET MAUI covers Single C# and XAML codebase, Native UI rendering, Xamarin migration path, Hot Reload. React Native covers Renders to native components, React programming model, Native modules, Fast Refresh.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

.NET MAUI: Is .NET MAUI really free for commercial apps?

Yes. It ships under the MIT licence as part of the free .NET SDK, with no separate mobile licence fee from Microsoft.

React Native: Is React Native free?

Yes. React Native is open source from Meta with no licence fee, and it is free for commercial use.

.NET MAUI: Is this the same as Xamarin?

It is the successor. Xamarin.Forms was retired in 2024 and Microsoft provides migration tooling from it to MAUI.

React Native: Does React Native produce a real native app?

Yes. JavaScript primitives render to the platform’s own UI components using the same native APIs a Swift or Kotlin app would call, rather than to a web view.

.NET MAUI: How long is each .NET version supported?

Even-numbered releases get Long Term Support (around three years); odd-numbered releases get roughly eighteen months, and MAUI follows that same .NET release cadence.

React Native: Which well-known apps use React Native?

Meta cites Facebook, Microsoft Office, Teams and Outlook, Amazon Shopping, Discord, Coinbase and Tesla among thousands of apps built with it.

React Native: Should I use Expo or plain React Native?

Expo handles builds, updates and native configuration for you and is the recommended starting point. Plain React Native gives full control of the native projects, which matters when you need native code the managed workflow does not cover.

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